Deceptions
by Midori-Nana
Summary: Five years after graduation, and Tohru is leaving the Sohmas. Akito's reaction in particular is unexpected, but equally mysterious is Tohru's reason for departure; luckily, Akito has an impromptu plan and a shocking, sudden confession to make.


Title:

**Title:** Deceptions

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** Er, not sure. Not N-17, but not for innocent kiddies either. So I suppose T, or PG-15.

**Summary: **Five years after graduation and the lifting of the curse, Akito learns that the girl that had caused him so much trouble is unexpectedly abandoning his family. Equally unexpected is his reaction, but that's not the only surprise on the agenda; Tohru's reason for departure is something of a shock.

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He had heard that morning that she was to leave.

At first he felt outraged. How dare she depart, just like that, without informing him of it first? Was he not the leader of the family she claimed to love? Did his stance on this surprising, infuriating development mean nothing?

Hatori, of course, was the one who had let it slip. Akito mused that he must have had a purpose: that eternally composed, calm icicle of a man never said or did anything by accident. In that way, he was identical to Shigure. That was what came of the two men being so close, Akito supposed.

There had been a strange light in Hatori's eyes, though, as he quietly informed him that Tohru was to leave Shigure's house in a few days. No one was sure why she wanted to go – and she really did, everybody knew – but it was inevitable, really. Five years after the curse had been broken, five years after all their lives had changed, five years after Kyou had almost been forced to spend the rest of his life in isolation. Tohru had spared all of them a lifetime of pain and suffering, and now she wanted to _leave?_

Did they really mean nothing to her?

It was that very question that buzzed in his mind as he called one of his most loyal family members. It was rare for him to make a telephone call; he could count on one hand all the times he ever had. So it was no shock that even Shigure, a man who had long lost the ability to be surprised at anything the younger man did, was astounded when he heard Akito coldly demand that Tohru be put on the phone the minute his call was answered.

"Tohru-kun? But she's not here-"

"Then where is she?" Akito demanded, "You are her legal guardian, Shigure, you are responsible for her whereabouts at all times."

"Tohru-kun is twenty-three now, Akito, so I'm not her guardian anymore." The former Dog of the Zodiac closed his eyes wearily. The whirlwind that had been the last two weeks had left him drained. A call from his notoriously moody leader was just a little too much for him to deal with, and so it was with difficulty that he assumed his ever-cheerful public façade.

"You know where she is."

"Yes."

Akito's voice was slow but menacing, "Tell me. Now."

Shigure hesitated only for a second, and didn't sound defeated at all when he finally said, "She's over at Haa-san's. She's just saying goodbye to everyone."

There was no answer. Akito had already hung up.

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Hatori's home wasn't far from Akito's own, so the leader of the Sohma family had arrived there within minutes. The scene that greeted him did not shock him in the least. At least a dozen members of his family were assembled at the doctor's abode; they were all in Hatori's sitting room, crying and plastering themselves all over her, rushing about and pushing all sorts of presents and trinkets at her, in the vain hope that she would pay more attention to them in her last hours in the Sohma compound.

A dead silence settled over them as soon as Akito stepped into the room. His cold gaze swept over them, and he counted most of his former Juunishi, as well as a few harassed-looking servants. Wrapping paper and disposable plates were scattered around the room, along with glasses of what seemed to be champagne. With the exception of Shigure and Kureno, the majority of his faithless little animals were present, and they stared at him with emotions ranging from shock to suspicion, to outright anger.

"Well, well," Akito smirked, "What a nice little party you seem to have going on, Hatori. Do you mind explaining this?"

Hatori detached himself from the window, where he had been calming smoking a cigarette, and said, "Honda-kun merely wished to say goodbye to us."

"Is that so?" Akito's smile widened, "Why, how kind of her. I'm sure you'll miss her when she leaves. Won't you, everyone?"

No one moved, or said a word. Akito caught the eye of the very reason he was there in the first place: Tohru was in the middle of a cluster of people that included Kisa, Yuki, Ritsu and Momiji. Her eyes widened, and a faint flush rose in her cheeks.

There was a slight pause, and then she spoke up, "I'm sorry if we're being loud, Akito-san, it's just-"

"That's not the problem, Tohru-san," he interrupted her, eyes darkening to a familiar shade that prophesied pain, "I just need to talk to you. It's very important. But, of course, this is a private matter that concerns only you and me. Therefore everyone except Hatori, Tohru-san and I will leave this house."

Any outraged protestations were quickly smothered, and everyone trooped outside. Akito was sure that they would linger outside the room, either to lie in wait for Tohru's exit or to listen in. Well, he wasn't going to let that happen.

"You two," He eyed Hatori and Tohru disdainfully, and not without a modicum of anger, "Follow me."

He led them out of the house using a side-door, and the three of them walked through the inner Sohma house, following twists and turns that not even Hatori, with his excellent memory, could remember. They finally ended up at a small, shabby villa, about half the size of Shigure's home. It looked uncared for, and was surrounded on all sides by thick shrubbery. Neither Hatori nor Tohru had seen it before.

Both of them traipsed after Akito with more than a little apprehension. He led them into the interior of the abandoned house, into a small room on the ground floor that looked completely out of place with the rest of the inside. The tatami mats here were fresh and new, the walls clear of dust and mildew. Large bright cushions had been scattered on the floor. Apart from that, the room was empty.

Akito settled onto one of the cushions, a purple one that matched the lining of his cream-colored yukata (which was slipping from his shoulders, but he ignored that) and motioned for his two companions to sit before him. Once he deemed them to be comfortable, he sighed, and started to speak in a low, irate voice.

"Do you know, Tohru, that you are one of the largest, most annoying thorns in my side?"

The girl – no, she was a young woman, now – looked startled at the use of her name without the usual honorific, "Ah, well-"

"Don't give me any excuses!" he snapped, "I do not want nor need any. Your presence here was truly an abomination. I welcome you into my family, allow you to keep your memories, I let you live with that untrustworthy runt of a dog for longer than I should have…and yet, when you choose to abandon us, you do not tell me!"

"I'm not abandoning you!" Tohru cried, sitting up straight and looking panicked, "I just need-"

"I told you not to give me excuses!" Akito snarled, "I should have taken away those stupid, useless memories of yours before you even had the chance to crawl into the hearts of my Juunishi."

"They're _happy _now!" she replied angrily, "Don't you think that's an improvement? Why do you have to keep on trying to make them miserable?"

Hatori was sure that Akito would have attacked her. But strangely, all the young man did was clench his fists until his knuckles should have burst through his white skin. Akito forced himself to breathe deeply, and his doctor was impressed and a little surprised at how controlled he seemed to be nowadays.

Hatori's dark eyes focused on Tohru. Far from being intimidated or even sorry, she looked defiant. Her blue-green eyes, usually bright with mirth, seemed harder than usual. Her lips were set in a thin line of disapproval, and her back was ramrod straight. He had the vague impression of a war general readying himself for battle.

_She is beautiful when she is angry._

The thought shocked something deep within him. Something he thought he had buried since Kana's departure.

"Your audaciousness has grown to epic proportions, Tohru," Akito murmured quietly, viciously; he was calm now, "I would erase your memory here and now if doing so would not rouse my family into an angry rebellion. You have become dear to them, yet you choose to leave. And you didn't think to tell me of this?"

Tohru's boldness seemed to wither and fade; her tensed shoulders slouched and she looked defeated and panicked at the same time, "I…I just need to go. Temporarily. To sort some things out."

"Such as?" Akito prompted.

She blushed and ducked her head, hiding behind her long hair, "I-I don't know if it is prudent to disclose such matters with you-"

"Enough of that," Akito crawled forward until he was close to her. His breath stirred the strands of her brown locks, and Hatori saw some strange emotion spasm across Tohru's eyes, "Tell me."

Her words were slightly strangled, "Ah…I…no, I can't, Akito-san…"

Obsidian eyes flickered towards Hatori, who was watching their conversation with dawning realization in his eyes. There was something else there, too. Like regret.

Akito hid his smirk, "Hatori, I was going to ask you why no one else had divulged this information to me. But I understand everything now. You may leave."

"I don't know the way to my home from here, Akito." Hatori replied, not wanting to leave the two alone. He had a rather disturbing idea of what might happen, and his gut clenched. He felt surprised at being so dismayed.

Akito scowled, "Just follow the path, and turn left at the first crossroad. That should be simple enough for you to understand, shouldn't it?"

Hatori had no reason to stay now, having been formally dismissed. Staying against his master's will would have brought something painful down upon him, he was sure, so he rose, bowed, and left. He could feel two pairs of eyes follow his movements, and he fought the urge to look back.

"And now, one thorn has been pulled out." Akito muttered, when he was finally sure the doctor was out of earshot.

Tohru ignored the statement, and took a deep breath, "Akito-san, I-"

"I told you I didn't want excuses." Akito was suddenly much closer to her, cupping her face almost tenderly with his hands. Bottomless eyes searched her form.

She was startled into silence, and looked down at the floor. One thin white hand grasped her chin and forced her eyes to lock with his.

Tohru felt her breath rush from her lungs at the sight of his pained face. His jaw was clenched, his black eyes were burning, and slowly she felt his hands slide gently from her face; they skimmed down her neck, over her breasts, and settled on her waist. One hand had undone the bun her hair was pulled back into, and her long, thick, luscious brown locks framed her face, making it seem more delicate. She was forced back until her back was pressed against the wall.

Akito's breath mingled with hers, and his mouth was barely an inch from her skin. Her lips parted slightly, and his gaze was drawn to them. He knew how soft they felt, what they tasted like. But that didn't make the prospect of kissing her any less alluring.

"Akito…don't do this to me. Please."

He paid no attention to her, instead choosing to lean forward until his forehead rested against hers. Her skin was as smooth as always, and he caught a faint whiff of her perfume: something light and fruity, underneath which her scent lay, a mixture of something that always reminded him of clean white sheets and the warm, balmy summer breeze. The feeling that always engulfed him when he was this close to her could not be described.

Akito closed his eyes and imagined how she would look: most likely her cheeks, now less rounded and childlike, would be graced with a light flush. Those enticing lips of hers would be dry, her breath short with anticipation. But Tohru's eyes, one of her most beautiful features, would be dusky, glazed over with unwanted desire.

"No…no, Akito-"

She couldn't argue with him if he was kissing her, a fact he was most thankful for. She was hard and unresponsive against him for a few seconds, but after he started to run his hands through her long, now-unbound hair, nipping at her lips gently, she moaned and moved forward into him.

His triumph at her response was forgotten, replaced by blazing lust as she hurriedly pulled off his yukata. He was wearing a thin robe underneath, but that was also quickly disposed of until he was almost naked.

"This is completely unfair." he panted, hungrily licking at the column of her throat, making her groan and arch against him, "Your clothes…take them off…!"

Tohru hastened to obey him, just as swept along in this current of craving, this yearning to have Akito's skin pressed against hers, as Akito wanted to absorb her into him. Her jacket and shirt were pulled off, the skirt tugged down until she kicked it off impatiently. He took his time removing her underwear, savoring the sight of her body as it lay nearly bare for him to see.

_Those idiots…living with her for years under the same roof, and they never once thought what a treasure lay within their grasp…_

He had to admit that he was glad Yuki and Kyou hadn't plucked up the courage to admit their feelings to her – even if it was all to obvious that they both considered her more than just a friend, and had done so for years – because the thought of someone else claiming her body and her heart made rage flare up inside him. He growled under his breath, biting at her delicate skin harder than he had meant to. It made her cry out, clutching desperately at his hair with white-knuckled fists.

The sight of her gasping and writhing under him, familiar as it was, did not lessen the influx of euphoric, mind-numbing pleasure that flooded every single nerve in his body as he grasped at her desperately, head buried in the crook of her neck as she shuddered and choked, overcome by the ecstasy that inflamed her.

It was easier to climax every time they were together like this. Ever since he had released the curse on his family, his health had improved, step by step. The doses of medicine decreased; this improved his temperament, his appearance, Later, as they lay in each other's arms, warm and sated and comfortable, Akito regained his voice and decided to speak.

"Why?"

Tohru shifted uneasily away from him, but his strength was greater than his and she ended up pinned against Akito, trapped by his arms. She shivered, even as a warm hand caressed her side, sliding up her hip and resting in the curve of her slim waist.

"Why?" she echoed, "What do you mean, why? Why what?"

"You know what I'm talking about." Something akin to anger stirred within him again.

"That has nothing to do with you." she replied, her tone unexpectedly sharper than he was used to.

"_Nothing to do with me!?"_ he spat impatiently, feeling his temper rise sharply, "After five years, after accepting you into this family, after I broke the curse-"

_Just to make you happy, you ungrateful bitch!_

"-I ceased to be God! I am nothing, now! Just because I…I needed to-"

"I didn't ask you to lift the curse." Tohru murmured, taking advantage of his ebbing fury and pulling away. He felt cold immediately, "My going away has nothing to do with them. If only-"

She paused, sighed, and pulled her clothes on. Not once did she spare him a glance, and he felt unaccountably vulnerable like this, naked and sprawled on the floor whilst she towered above him. This was wrong: _he_ was the one who was supposed to be all-powerful, standing strong and invincible. Not this little slip of a girl.

_Oh, that's right. She's most definitely not a girl anymore, _he thought bitterly, _She's a woman. Fully grown and ready to fly away. She used me to free her little pets and has no use for me-!_

Why was it that the thought infuriated him so?

"You have to tell me."

Tohru stilled at the urgency in his voice. She saw that he was still unclothed, and kneeled down beside him to drape his robes over his prone body. She did not intend to discuss this further. Akito had already hurt her – hell, he was hurting her every time he was around her, just by being there – taunting her with his unavailability, his coldness, the detachment in his eyes when he looked at her. Tohru knew that she would never be good enough for him to want her for more than a insubstantial little affair, and her heart constricted at the thought that he would soon probably marry a woman of higher standing than she.

Another pang of sorrow hit her. She resolved not to think about it anymore, but this decision was sorely put to the test when Akito caught hold of her arms and pulled her down to lie next to him.

It was unbelievable, he thought hazily, to think that they would fit together this perfectly. Every arch in her body corresponded to his, her head nestled under his chin, and his arms felt like they had been made to wrap around her. Her breath evened out and deepened, and he fancied that they were almost like a husband and wife, lying next to each other peacefully, nothing in the world more important than their bond. He didn't even jerk with surprise when he felt something warm and wet slide down his neck, instead tipping up his lover's face so that he could see the tears run from her eyes.

She looked more morose than he'd ever seen her, and Akito felt an inexplicable urge to hold her closer and comfort her. He suppressed it immediately. What was wrong with him? This was stupid. It wasn't love; just a convenient affair that had lasted an inordinately long time.

_I've been doing this with her for three years._

Their relationship felt like it had lasted since he could remember. At the same time, he remembered kissing her for the first time as if it had happened yesterday. At the time it had been a forbidden thrill he had done for amusement; an occurrence that was supposed to have been brief and unremarkable. He had not expected to enjoy it as much as he had, nor had he foreseen Tohru – a girl he had formerly hated with all his heart and soul – becoming an object of desire for him.

But it had happened nonetheless. And now he had to reap what he'd sown.

"What is it?"

Tohru pressed her lips together at the sound of his gentle, almost-teasing voice. Playing, always playing; he was never serious when it came to this. It was nothing but a game to him. _She _was nothing to him. Why was she still here? Did she really expect him to wipe her tears away and reassure her that he would stay with her forever, by her side?

Ha. As if that would ever happen: Tohru knew Akito was not in love with her.

But why did she have to love _him?_

Tohru lay limply in Akito's arms, and felt as if she were a thousand miles away from him instead of a few centimeters. Three years. For three years she had been sleeping with him: it hadn't been a regular occurrence, but it had been enough for her to become addicted to his passion, his craving for warmth and companionship. He had been at times tender and loving, while at others he would be rough enough to bruise. But she enjoyed it either way.

Tohru knew that a few people suspected of her association with Akito, Shigure being one of them. Quite a few maids knew about it, but would never reveal the information as they knew they would most probably never find work again if the head of the family heard about it. Kureno had moved away some time ago, but Akito still communicated with him regularly, so it was possible the former Rooster of the zodiac to know of this.

She was just grateful that Yuki and Kyou had no idea about her less-than-innocent liaisons. Not only would they be incensed beyond all logic, they would also be exceptionally hurt. She had avoided their advances for a long time now, and interrupted them whenever it seemed like they might have told her about their true feelings. Tohru didn't want to hear it; as much as she loved them, they were more like siblings to her than anything else. Knowing of their feelings for sure meant that she would have to deal with them, and she had a hard enough time sorting out what she felt for Akito.

And then, after countless nights crying silently into her pillow, beating herself up for falling for the coldest and most distant man in her life, she had come up with a solution.

She would simply have to leave him.

It seemed like the most obvious thing in the world, and she congratulated herself for it. It would solve everything: she would forget what she felt for him, go on with her life, and maybe meet someone new. A man who was kind and loving and, above all, normal.

Tohru wanted nothing more, now. She just wanted to love someone whom she knew could and would love her back. A man to lie and laugh and cry and share her life with. It had happened to her mother, why couldn't it happen to her?

"Answer me, Tohru."

She started, remembering that he had asked her what was wrong, and felt a wry smile play at her lips. What was wrong with her, he wanted to know?

Where did she start?

"It's nothing, Akito-san." Tohru told him briskly, sitting up and patting herself down. She tied back her hair into a tight braid and a blank expression settled on her face, belying nothing of the glee she experienced as she saw Akito look slightly bewildered at her sudden change of mood. Tohru had changed more than even she herself knew.

The confusion vanished soon enough, and Akito slowly changed into his yukata while she waited for him. Tohru bowed to him when he was finished, and turned to leave. She had only opened the door a crack when his hand clamped over hers and slid the panel forward roughly, closing it.

She jumped, "A-Akito-san!"

"This is enough, Tohru." He sounded nothing more than tired, "You are going to tell me why you are leaving, or I will have Yuki forcibly removed from University and locked back into his room in the main house. The same goes for Kyou."

He smirked at her pale face, "Well, you shouldn't be surprised. This is why you didn't tell me in the first place, no? Because you didn't want your friends to suffer?"

"Yes." she admitted, her short-lived spark of defiance guttering out, "But that's not the only reason."

"Then what is?"

Tohru hesitated, and then felt very weary. What was the point of this? All this lying and playing tricks? Her mother would have been ashamed. Her father, too; both of them would be horrified at her behavior, she was sure. What had happened to her openness, her honesty? Had it just completely vanished?

Her shoulders slumped, and she took a deep breath.

"I am in love with you." There. That was it.

For a moment, Akito thought his hearing was playing tricks on him, "What? What did you say?"

Tohru gulped, and looked like she was about to cry. She hoped he wouldn't laugh at her. That would be too much to bear, "I…love you. I am in love you."

"Repeat that, Tohru. My ears have stopped working."

"I…" She seemed as if she might have fell to her knees in mortification, "I…love you."

For a while, there was no reaction. Then Akito blanched, looking as if he were going to faint, "You…love…no, no you can't-"

"Yes, but I do!" Tohru cried, "It's stupid, isn't it? I'm a grown woman. I should be able to handle your rejection. I should be able to take it, and walk out of here with my dignity intact. And I might. But I've told you now, so you know, and I'm not going to wait for you to laugh at me or reject me-"

"How long?" he croaked, "Wha…love? You _love _me?"

"I don't know when it started. But I'm pretty sure that I love you."

"But…how? Why? Why _me?"_ Akito's voice rose at the end of the question, and tears pricked fiercely at Tohru's eyes. This hurt more than she had expected to. She had planned to tell him this over the phone: that way would have been more effective and less of an emotional rollercoaster. But she always chose the hard path, didn't she?

"I don't know!" she half-wailed, half-sobbed, "I don't know why! I don't _want _to love you. I hate loving you-"

His eyes widened, "You…what?! Why?"

"You don't love me!" she howled, anguished, "Why should I spend my life centered around a man who feels _nothing_ for me? Answer that!"

Akito felt his knees become weak, and had to sit back down on one of the cushions they had formerly been lying on. This was not happening. It could not be. Why would a girl like Tohru proclaim her love for a man like him? Someone who had hurt so many people, ruined their lives through abuse and manipulation; how could a girl so much_ better_ than him love him?

"Don't lie to me!" he said hotly, "Don't even _dare-"_

Tohru's voice became dangerously quiet, "I'm not lying to you, Akito-san. But I've said all I had to say…and then some. I'm going to leave now-"

"STAY RIGHT THERE!"

She froze, and he saw her bite back something like a sob.

"I'm not finished yet, Tohru. Sit down. Now." Akito said, breathing hard. His whole body tingled with profound disbelief, and a sensation which somehow felt like…happiness. No, not happiness. Joy. Incredibly, mind-shatteringly intense joy. He was shaking with it. But he didn't know why.

Tohru sat in front of him, head bowed. She flinched when he stood up and made his way to her, then gasped with surprise as he violently threw his arms around her and squeezed her so tightly she thought she would run out of air.

"A-ah! No! Let go of me-"

"No."

"Akito, let me go! I'll miss my flight-"

"You already have."

Tohru's small form shuddered as her strength gave way to indeterminable distress, "Why are you doing this? Let me get away from you, please!"

"Don't you even _dare_ think about running away," Akito hissed threateningly, his eyes narrowing to slits, "You didn't run away when you saw that cat's true form. You didn't run away when Hatsuharu went black. You didn't run away from Shigure, or Hatori, or Kagura or Isuzu. Why do you run from me?"

"I…I don't want to do this. Not anymore. Not if I don't mean anything."

Akito dropped his eyes to her white face, "So if I kiss you, you think it means nothing to me? If I take you into my arms like this, I don't react? If I make love to you-"

"It's not love." she whispered miserably, "You don't love me."

"Who said that?"

"You…you just don't."

"And how do you know that I don't? Are you a mind-reader? A psychic, maybe?" he asked bitingly.

"I don't have to be!" Tohru burst out, "I know you better than you think I do. I know you better than a lot of people do. I can tell when…when someone likes me or not."

Akito's voice and face became entirely blank, "I like you."

Tohru opened her mouth to protest, then saw the fervent sincerity in his eyes. Her eyes widened, and she blushed. For a long time, there was silence. Neither of them knew what to say.

The sky had darkened, and the two figured rested next to each other, warm and blissful. Akito chose this time to pull Tohru closer to him, and her body rested against his. For the first time in a long time, he felt content, and didn't open his eyes when Tohru tugged on his robe to attract his attention.

"You…you like me?"

He almost smiled at her uncertain voice, "Yes."

"Really?"

"Mmm."

"You're not lying?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Yes." Her tone became slightly suspicious again, but she squeaked when he tightened his grip on her, to the point where she felt even if the hounds of hell came to take her away he wouldn't let go.

"I am not lying to you," he spoke softly. His lips brushed over the delicate shell of her ear, and she twitched when she felt a jolt of pleasure radiate through her body, "Do you know something else?"

"What?"

"I don't just like you."

"Eh?"

"I _want _you." His voice was husky. Tohru felt parts of her body tighten in response, "I need you. I'm not letting anyone else have you, and I'm not letting you get away from me. Ever."

_I love you, you stupid ugly girl. You are a _mortal,_ after all. Gods cannot love and be loved by mortals. So, they have to become men._

_I like to think that I have become a man now._

"That sounds like you're going to keep me as a pet," Tohru muttered, "As if I'm going to have a collar and chain and you spank me if I do something wrong."

She felt his wicked grin even through their layers of clothes, and knew that she'd said something very stupid.

"Would you like me to do that, Tohru?" His tone dripped with dark amusement.

She squirmed, "Ah…well. Maybe."

A chuckle reverberated throughout the room, a sound that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and her breath grow short. Tohru was aware of Akito's fingers sliding under her clothes.

"Well, Tohru, if you want it so badly…then it can be arranged."

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**AN:** So, how was it? Was everyone IC? There were some very, very, very subtle hints of Hatori/Tohru, and Kyou/Tohru/Yuki, but I think they were so unnoticeable they might have gone over everyone's heads. But it should be enough to meet the requirements, I think.

I'm actually very proud of this. It's the first story I've completed, and actually posted. On another note, I cannot _believe _there aren't more stories up. Come on, people! Write!


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